Why non-alcoholic spirits are going from strength to strength | food

IIt’s time to start thinking about the C word. You probably already have plans to stock up for houseguests who drink, but what about those who don’t? It’s a good opportunity to think about how we can improve our non-alcoholic offering for friends and family who are trying to drink less, or not at all. Sometimes, your friend will I just want Fanta, but I don’t like being the one to give it to them. We can do better than that.

There are truly excellent non- and low-alcohol beers, as well as a growing offer of non-alcoholic wines (or even sessionable wines around 6% ABV). But what about those who love or are accustomed to drinking cocktails? Those who enjoy a medicinal kick to the soul, but don’t want any of the booze?

A spirit is easily defined in alcohol terms, but what if you’re not distilling something alcoholic from the ingredients? As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary (website; I don’t have one knocking home), a spirit is “a strong distilled alcoholic beverage used for drinking.” So, part of how I define a non-alcoholic spirit will depend firstly on its strength and secondly on the elements that need to be distilled to create it. (Non-alcoholic brand Everleaf However, he notes that extraction from specific ingredients can be done more effectively in different ways, either by distillation or by grinding an ingredient.) I would also argue that a spirit can be defined in the way you choose to enjoy it: if it can be enjoyed using a blender, it is a spirit; If it can be shaken, mixed into a cocktail, or enjoyed on the rocks, it is definitely a spirit. By all these definitions, I’m talking about liqueurs, appetizers, and amaro here.

Mother roota combination of ginger, chili, and honey, is one of my absolute favorite drinks that I drink in any of these ways: top with soda water for an easy highball, or add a squeeze of lemon to make a non-alcoholic Moscow Mule. Fiery ginger is enough to energize you in the morning and get you off your hangover, and I love ginger products In reality Ginger taste.

Then there is the herbal citrus Butevowhose success is a testament to the growing popularity of non-alcoholic options. Almost every stylish hotel bar and up-and-coming wine bar now stocks this smart yellow bottle, and so do some pubs. It’s just the thing to scratch a botanical spirit lover’s itch, and it works well with anything elderflower.

I’m also very intrigued by the recent discovery of Silva Laboratories – Old-fashioned, non-alcoholic spirits made using British fruitwood and created by Ben Branson, founder Seed lip (Heard about them?). The first glance made me think of freshly squeezed apple juice, but when I took a swig the palate was full of smoke and forest floor. I can only imagine it was stirred into a Manhattan-style cocktail instead of whiskey, perhaps with a squeeze of prune juice.

Four nolo lives are worth the gamble

Mother of ginger root £28.95 (50cl) Sainsbury’s, 0%. The fiery spice of ginger ale holds its own when topped with soda.

Caleno is mild and spicy £18.97 (50cl) Master Malt, 0%. A brand with real scale. Try this with any gin-based aperitif.

Mount Everleaf £20 (50cl) Wine Society0%. Founded by a conservation biologist, this liqueur is based on rosehip and wild strawberries.

Silva Grove £40 (50cl) from Silva Laboratories<0.5%. Silva's third "release", created to celebrate the harvest. Cherry, smoke and rye.